


Take a Break!

by YunaBlaze



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Improper Use of Police Authority, M/M, Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), slightly OOC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-12 06:43:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20559947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YunaBlaze/pseuds/YunaBlaze
Summary: Markus had too much work to do, his people relied on him to defend them and his enemies would be glad to see him trip and fall, so he had no interest in taking a break.He just didn't expect he would be forced to take a break... in jail?!WAIT! WHAT?!





	Take a Break!

Two hundreds sixty-seven files reviewed and signed. One thousand seven hundreds and thirty-two documents left to review and the number was showing no sign of decreasing at this rate. This was actually worse than handling all those fan mails of his dad’s.

Markus felt drained. He was trying his best to advocate for better android rights and fighting off the hatred of the humans who still regarded androids as nothing but unfeeling machines. So many androids were counting on him for a more peaceful resolution with the humans while many others were demanding more violent approaches to get humans to comply with their demands. He was stuck between both sides’ conflicting group and drowning deep in the negativity they spewed out daily.

The RK200 leaned back in his seat as he lightly rubbed his temple, a human gesture he started doing since the success of the Android Revolution. The action soothed him and acted as a little reminder that he wasn’t just a machine. He was just like the humans with all their troubles and stresses, he faced those as well. Markus let himself rest for a second before he took a deep breath to cool his inner biocomponents more and readied himself to power-through this pile of headaches.

Sadly, before the android even opened another file, a knock was sounded in his office, which echoed loudly in the quaint little room. Mismatched pair of eyes blinked in surprise, for he had not been expecting any visitor today and neither Simon nor Josh had informed him of anything unexpected. The dark-skinned android had thought it might be North, though the female android wouldn’t even bother with knocking. She would have barged in and boldly stated her business.

Curious, he got up from his wooden desk, making a final sweep over the place to make sure nothing was out of place. It was an old habit from his days as Carl’s caretaker, though he did enjoy keeping things in order and proper when guests were coming. The few abstract paintings he had made were hung on the walls, colourful and expressive like his dad’s. The two burgundy-coloured couches facing each other were spotless and clean, as was the small coffee table in between the couches. The tea set he had set aside had both tea bags and biscuits for human guests as well as Thirium for those of android nature. Yes, everything was clean and proper, no worries for any unexpected visit.

Markus simply gave himself a final pat on his clothes. He had taken to dress a bit more casually, something that was similar to what he had worn when he was still a caretaker android in Carl’s home. A simple dark grey shirt and black pants with matching boots. He only wore his signature overcoat in formal occasions nowadays.

The visit itself was already unexpected, but the man who stood behind said door was a surprise altogether. ‘Lieutenant Anderson?’

‘Markus,’ greeted Hank Anderson with a sombre look.

An enormous sense of unease settled within Markus’ Thirium pump at the look, for the few times he had met the Lieutenant, the man always had an easy-going casualness and friendly to interact with, he was never this serious. Unless...

The android blinked in surprise at a sharp clink noise and glanced down to see Anderson having cuffed his left hand’s wrist. _What?_

‘Markus, you are currently under arrest,’ the old man announced as he cuffed his other hand as well. ‘You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to be speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided to you.’

_WHAT THE HELL IS GOING?! SIMON?! JOSH?! NORTH?! ANYONE?!_

No signal, no feedback. Not even another android’s presence in the hall as the Leader of Jericho was apprehended and taken away by the police officer.

***

‘Uh... Lieutenant Anderson... What exactly is the meaning of this?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You’ve arrested me around an hour ago, without ever stating what my crime was, by the way. And now... we are just sitting here?’

By here, Markus meant this bench that was facing Detroit River with his hands covered by the older man’s coat to hide his cuffed state.

‘Yep,’ the old man answered easily as he stretched and leaned against the bench with a relaxed smile.

‘Why?’ Markus questioned, ignoring the background mission display that urged him to paint the human’s serene expression on a canvas. It was still strange that after devianting, an android’s usual task display turned into one that reflected their desire and could sometimes be an obstruction in their vision until they forcefully dismissed it.

‘I like this spot,’ Anderson replied with a shrug. ‘I used to come here a lot with my son. This is one of the few places I could put work aside and just relax.’

The android turned to study the area a little more closely. The cool breeze coming from the river, the faint scent of oak trees in the air, the bright sun above their head, the gentle melody from the waves and the morning choir of the birds. This location was certainly peaceful and its tranquil atmosphere reminded Markus fondly of his home with Carl. He hadn’t realized how much he missed this form of tranquility, the New Jericho district was rarely quiet as his people worked day and night to make the district more hospitable to both android and human inhabitants. The busy atmosphere could become choking over time despite Markus’ best attempt to ignore it.

‘Wait here for a sec,’ the old policeman said suddenly and left before the android could utter a reply.

Heterochromatic eyes stared after the human who lightly jogged towards an ice cream vendor cart. From the way the vendor, a red-haired GM400, cheerfully greeted the Lieutenant, the RK200 got the impression that this was not the first time Anderson had met this android. Perhaps he was a regular of his. Nevertheless, it comforted him slightly that androids were slowly getting accepted by humans and they were able to interact on equal social status. Reports and statistics were not as fulfilling as when he saw the results of their effort with his own optics. It brought a sense of satisfaction that was very similar to how he felt when he finished a painting. Smiling softly, Markus wondered if Carl would be proud of what he and his people had accomplished so far.

‘Here you go.’

Markus blinked in surprise as a Thirium popsicle covered his vision. He moved his head back to look up the Lieutenant with a dumbfounded expression before he accepted the popsicle with a weak thanks. It was a rather ingenious idea to make a frozen treat out of Thirium when it was first propose by some androids who had worked in the food industry, but this android food product of theirs made dining with humans a little less awkward. After all, sharing a meal with people was far pleasant than staring at them while they ate.

Except...

‘Uh... Lieutenant?’ Markus started hesitantly as he made a light gesture with his hands to show the human of his cuffed state.

‘Oh right, sorry about that,’ the older man said as he quickly released his hands. ‘I guess I am getting a little forgetful these days.’

It was not that the android felt discomfort, though he was still confused nonetheless and voiced it as such, ‘Exactly what have I done that required you to arrest me in such manner? Because I have no recollection of having committed any crime or broke any law. At least not since the Revolution.’

‘Ah, don’t ask me, I have not been given a whole briefing of your case, I am just in charge in getting you to the precinct,’ Hank replied as he took a bite out of his own ice treat.

Markus grimaced at the rather vague reply. If this wasn’t a set-up of some sort, he would eat his own shoe as the old human saying went.

‘Come on, just finish up your popsicle and we’ll keep moving,’ Anderson said, giving him a small nudge on his arm as he continued to eat his own.

Well... His Thirium level wasn’t low, but it would be rude to refuse this and waste the precious liquid. Markus sighed before he started eating as well. As he enjoyed his food, his eyes went to study his surroundings once more and slowly relaxed once more. Hmm... Perhaps the Lieutenant was worried about his stress level, so he chose to stop by this quiet spot before carting him off to the police station. In a way, he should be thankful that it was Anderson who was sent to take him in, for he knew he could trust Connor’s partner to remain impartial in this affair, unlike some other police force members who had shown heavy prejudice towards his kind and decided they were all guilty without any evidence. People like the Lieutenant were what kept him from losing hope.

As soon as they were done with their frozen snack, the Android Leader thought they were going to get back to the car immediately, but the Lieutenant did the unexpected once more. He suggested that they headed to the police station on foot, something about how Connor was trying to get him to exercise a bit more. Markus regarded the human in skepticism. While it sounded like something the RK800 would definitely do to his father figure, it didn’t make it any less suspicious. Nevertheless... his quick scan did indicate that Anderson required... a certain amount of exercise for his health. All things considered, the precinct was not very far from here, around a thirty-minute walk, so this request was not too unreasonable he supposed.

Still, Markus rather they focused on getting to their destination as fast possible, for he had many work left to do at New Jericho. Despite his best effort, short of dragging the older man by his collar, Anderson still managed to delay their progress and was seemingly testing his patient as they were walking through the shopping district.

‘Aren’t you an artist?’

‘What kind of music do you like?’

‘Got any good suggestion on books?’

‘Been to this art supply store before?’

‘I prefer mystery and thriller. If you’re interested, I can let you borrow a few.’

‘Ah, sorry, I never really notice the soft and classic stuff in music.’

After minutes of prodding and questioning, something finally snapped inside Markus and the feeling that surged forward was very similar to how he was feeling the night he had deviated, if not stronger with his aggravation.

‘I apologize Lieutenant Anderson, but SHUT THE HELL UP!’

His outburst had certainly shut the man up. Said man was staring at him in complete shock and completely lost at words. Good.

‘While I don’t know what you’re playing at, I would appreciate if we just get to the precinct and deal with whatever crime it is that the police believes I have committed, because unlike you, I have responsibilities that I take seriously,’ said the Android Leader as calmly as he could, for he did not want to draw any more attention than he already did with his previous shout.

Actually, never mind... He had attracted a bit more attention than he had initially expected...

The Lieutenant noticed it as well and quickly got them out of the crowd before more curious bystanders caged them up. They didn’t stop moving until they reached a relatively quieter street.

‘Well... I guess your friends weren’t picking on straws...’ the Lieutenant remarked a little breathlessly.

‘What?’ Markus looked at the human questioningly.

‘Heard from Connor that your friends are worried that you are driving yourself to the ground,’ the old man answered as he slowly caught his breath once more. ‘You’re obviously stressing yourself up more than they are and you aren’t even letting yourself take a break.’

‘I have taken breaks,’ Markus said defensively.

‘Uh-huh, doing what exactly? And for how long?’ Anderson asked with a skeptic stare.

The android remained silent at that, because he actually didn’t really do anything or even take a break longer than a minute before he delved right back into work.

‘You do know that your friends actually take breaks themselves, right?’ the human questioned him once more, looking almost incredulous. He started looking a little hysterical when he spotted the uncertainty on Markus’ face. ‘Look, from what Connor had told me, your buddies don’t just work themselves to death in all these political matters. They each take their own time off to do other stuffs. Take their mind off of their daily troubles.

‘Like say... the teacher android, Josh? On his days off, he tutors androids and humans alike on different subjects. Uh... the blond... Simon? Yeah. Simon goes to android clinics to provide aids to injured androids and help out the R&D department. And your ex goes martial art club to vent.’

Markus was impressed by how well informed the police officer knew and was slightly ashamed that he did not wholly know his own friends’ whereabouts as much as a friend of a friend did.

‘Look, point is they have a... a... window! To breathe a bit... Uh... An exit! Yes, an exit that they use to get out of all those political crap you guys probably have to deal with every day, but you? You just let yourself drown in it and try to power through it like a machine. Even the cop androids don’t try to overdo it, Markus,’ Anderson said with a berating tone at the end.

‘I don’t... I don’t overdo it... much,’ the android muttered under his breath. Maybe. Just a tiny bit. He did revert back to his machine-like self as he was going through the paperwork, dismissing the fatigue in his processor and working nonstop without a care to other things.

At the unimpressed look the old man gave him, Markus sighed and corrected himself, ‘Yes, I DO overdo it.’

Hank smirked victoriously at that, nodding in satisfaction before he gestured down the road and said, ‘Come on, let’s just enjoy ourselves.’

As they walked, Markus slowly realized something. ‘I was never accused of anything, was I?’

The human grinned as he answered in amusement, ‘Nope.’

Confused, Markus asked, ‘Then why?’

Hank chuckled lightly at that as he answered, ‘You know, you actually have a lot of people who cares about you. And they are all worry by how you are building a fort up with those paperwork of yours, but seeing as you have been brushing off their concerns these days, they’ve decided a more... extreme measure need to be applied.’

‘And they suggested you to arrest me to accomplish that?’ Markus demanded incredulously.

‘Well, it’s either that or your ex’s suggestion, which is to remove your arms for a day or two at least,’ the old man answered, barely holding back his laughter at the memory of how the female android got berated by her male accomplices when she had uttered that suggestion with a Eureka-like look on her face.

Markus blinked in surprise at that bit of information. Wow... Did North really hate him that much to suggest something so morbid?

Hank clapped him on the shoulder as he leaned in close to whisper into his ear, ‘Trust me, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. It follows you through your whole life. So next time, think twice before committing.’

Markus felt a certain heat building up on his cheeks, though he was uncertain if the reason came from the embarrassment of his failed romance’s consequence coming back to haunt him or the fact that Anderson was now standing so close to him that they were practically breathing in each other’s air. Hank was certainly an interesting individual who easily drew his attention away from his primary task with an unnatural ease. And...

‘Did you volunteer to be my distraction?’ the Android Leader asked, not sure which answer he wanted to obtain.

‘What? Disappointed that I am?’ the Lieutenant asked playfully.

‘I... No...’ Markus replied with his face all heated and his Thirium pump entered an erratic pace. Oh RA9, he had never felt this nervous since the time he was in a relationship with North. ‘Definitely not.’

‘You’re so easy to tease, Markus,’ Hank remarked with a laugh as he pulled away from him, giving him some space back to cool down his overheating temperature. The android was definitely thankful of that or he would probably enter a forced stasis to cool himself down. ‘Come on, there’s still more to see before the end of the day.’

The rest of their walk was one of simple relaxation, now that he was not facing potential imprisonment. The enjoyment of sight-seeing and satisfying his curiosity with whatever had caught his eyes were a rather novel feeling to Markus, seeing he hadn’t actually had time to do anything of such casual nature. Unlike many androids, he had never gotten the taste of being a normal person in the crowd and maybe... just maybe... having Hank for company also made this trip far more pleasant. The man’s easy smile and soothing voice certainly held a unique appeal to him.

Markus guessed he could take a break again... if Hank was willing to accompany him. He felt like he was going to shut down when he had uttered those words without realizing it and he tensed in fear at the human’s rejection. Instead of rejection, however, the android got something even better.

‘Sure, it’s a date,’ Hank replied with the gentlest smile he had ever seen in his short life.

Yeah... Markus was definitely going to be taking a break more often from now on.


End file.
